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Once in a great while, when David Fischer
is looking at the Ninian paper’s obits online,
he notices the “Most Viewed” links on the right,
and if he sees “Divorces,” he’ll click on it, merely
out of idle curiosity, wondering if he’ll see the name
of someone he knows, and in particular the names of
a long-married, long-separated couple with whom he is
acquainted.
Useless information it will be, if he should ever find it,
because Fischer will not say anything. He will not
send a card. He will not call to say how sad he is.
He will not propose to be Husband #2.
Or, who knows. Maybe Fischer will.
Today, what a shock. Divorces Jan. 14-23. Fischer
finds names he recognizes. A complete surprise. Wife,
according to the official record, a resident of Fischer’s town;
husband now residing elsewhere. Dave has never met the wife,
but he’s taken the husband’s photograph, with a deceased buck deer.
He’s made a portrait, on film, of their baby girl. Ex-, ex-, ex-, Fischer
thinks. Ex-husband. Ex-wife. Extra-precious child, yes, yes, yes.
♦
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